1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recording and playback of personalized audio messages. More particularly, the present invention relates to the devices and methods employed in recording a personalized greeting onto a voice message playback module to be sent to a recipient along with a card, gift or other product.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As modern conveniences have increased, so have the pace of life and the distances between loved ones, friends and business associates. People have become more transient, and a truly global marketplace has emerged. Due to the rapid technological advancements of recent years and the associated changes in how people conduct their personal and business affairs, the general public""s interest in buying and obtaining products and information remotely has significantly increased commensurately. On a personal level, today many people often buy gifts through long distance telephonic retail services or over the internet. As a result, the gift giver may never see or touch the gift, which is typically sent directly from a warehouse or retail store to the intended recipient, much less be able to add a xe2x80x9cpersonal touchxe2x80x9d to the gift of any kind. In the business world, as well, it is often the case that products or information are sent to a customer directly from a third-party supplier without a truly personal touch from the sending party. For businesses to gain and keep customers in today""s competitive marketplace, a personal touch may be the deciding factor. Therefore, in both the personal and the commercial context, it is often desirable to provide a custom, personalized voice message with a gift, product or other information being sent to a recipient.
To this end, several voice message recording systems have been contemplated in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,719,920 and 5,826,235 disclose a system for remote recording of a personal audio greeting as compressed, digital data onto a xe2x80x9ccommunication package.xe2x80x9d With this system, the greeting is stored in the programming device, or xe2x80x9cunitized interface system,xe2x80x9d and then provided to the communication package as compressed, digital data; thereby necessitating that the circuitry of both the unitized interface system and the communication package contain components needed to transmit and store this compressed, digital data, causing the system to be relatively more complex, expensive and physically larger.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,425,078 and 5,490,206 disclose a method and system for recording an audio message onto a xe2x80x9ckeepsakexe2x80x9d playback device through the use of a remote, computerized voice mailbox system. This system involves a programming device, or xe2x80x9csubscriber setxe2x80x9d that cannot itself store messages or be accessed directly. Rather, the vendor where the subscriber set is located must call the voice mailbox system to download the previously-recorded message directly to the keepsake. Thus, this system does not allow a customer on-site where the gift or card is located to conveniently record a personal greeting to a keepsake to be placed with the customer""s purchase. Moreover, the customer cannot call into the subscriber set directly, but must always go through the voice messaging system and rely on the vendor to subsequently make the transfer to the keepsake. Therefore, the system disclosed by these patents is limited to only one means for a customer to record a personal voice greeting.
Finally, other examples of voice message recording systems known in the art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,698, which proposes that a customer""s personal audio message be recorded from an answering machine onto a separate voice chip, or read-only memory device, that would then be inserted into a greeting card having the balance of the electronics for playback of the message pre-installed in the card, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,767 proposes that the entire voice message playback circuitry be pre-installed in a greeting card, ornament, stuffed animal, or the like. Thus, with these systems, all or a portion of the voice message playback circuitry is pre-installed in the card, gift or product being sent to a recipient, causing these systems to be bulky, inflexible and less adaptable to the needs of individuals and businesses alike.
The present invention provides for an economical, convenient and easy-to-use audio message recording and playback system. The system includes a recorder-imprinter device and a self-contained voice module for storage and playback of a personalized audio greeting that can be inserted into a variety of cards, ornaments or products.
The recorder-imprinter device of the present invention is a stand-alone machine configured with both a handset for on-site recording of a personal audio greeting and a conventional telephone jack and circuitry for interfacing with a telephone network so that a customer""s call can be connected directly to the device and an audio greeting recorded remotely. In either case, the recorder-imprinter""s microprocessor and pre-installed operational and voice prompting software guides the customer through the voice message recording process. When the audio message has been saved to the recorder-imprinter""s solid state memory and the customer has replaced the handset or ended his call, the message remains stored in the recorder-imprinter until it is subsequently transferred to a voice module.
In an alternative embodiment, a personal computer is employed in the transfer of an audio message to or from the recorder-imprinter device via conventional e-mail or internet means. Software is provided for use in conjunction with this embodiment that is easily installed on the conventional personal computer and provides point-and-click operational modes for the recording, storage and downloading and uploading of audio message files. The personal computer may be located on-site with the recorder-imprinter or remotely, but in either case may be linked to the recorder-imprinter over a conventional computer network via a serial or USB connection. The audio message file downloaded from the computer is inherently digital and is stored in digital format in the RAM of the recorder-imprinter. In the case of inputs from the handset on the recorder-imprinter or a remote telephone call, the audio message is initially in analog format. Thus, the recorder-imprinter is equipped with an analog-to-digital converter so that the audio file may still be stored in digital format. Then, when the audio message is processed through the recorder-imprinter for transfer to the voice module, the file is converted to analog by a digital-to-analog converter before being sent to the voice module.
The voice module of the present invention consists of a single circuit board housed within a plastic casing so that its overall size is approximately 1.25xe2x80x3xc3x971.25xe2x80x3xc3x970.25xe2x80x3. At the heart of the voice module""s circuitry is a miniature solid state chip through which the other electrical components are wired so that the chip completely controls the module""s operation. The voice module""s power supply is in circuit with a switch and a timing device, both of which serve to reduce power draw while the voice module is idle. When the switch is actuated, audible playback of the audio message is effectuated through a speaker contained within the voice module. Ultimately, because of the voice module""s small size, independent operation, electronic simplicity and low cost, it is optimally suited for use in a wide variety of cards, gifts and other products to be sent to an intended recipient.
In use, a personal greeting may be sent to a recipient employing the audio recording and playback system of the present invention in a few simple steps. A customer first records his or her greeting in the memory of a store""s recorder-imprinter device by going to the store and using the device""s handset, being connected to the device through a remote telephone call to the store, or being transferred through a personal computer, either in the store or at another location. Once the personal greeting is stored in the memory of the recorder-imprinter, a voice module is inserted into the programming port where electrical contacts removably engage an electrical receptacle in the port across which data can be exchanged. The voice module can only be fully inserted one way due to complemental indexing surfaces on the voice module and in the programming port. Immediately after the voice module is inserted in the programming port, the recorder-imprinter is put into programming mode by the operator and the desired greeting is selected from the recorder-imprinter""s memory and recorded onto the voice module. When recording is completed, the voice module is removed and placed in a pre-formed pocket in the selected card, gift or other product being sent to the recipient. Thus, the audio recording and playback system of the present invention is flexible and convenient to use and produces a small, self-contained voice module for playback of a personal greeting accompanying a wide variety of personal and commercial items.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the features of the invention.